Record at a Glance
- Category
- Jan 6th
- Age in NPR record
- 43
- Location
- Mount Airy, Maryland
- Charges
- Assaulting, Resisting, Impeding Certain Officers
- Case status
- Pleaded guilty; Sentenced
- Presidential action
- Pardon
Case Summary
Federal investigators allege that Nicholas Juston Ortt assaulted police officers on the West Plaza of the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. Open source video showed Ortt struggling against a line of officers at that location, eventually becoming the first protestor to break through. Body-worn camera footage showed Ortt continuing to grapple with officers after breaking through the line until he was forced back into the crowd. By that point, a large group of protestors had followed Ortt through the breach, headed for the Lower West Terrace and the U.S. Capitol building itself. Ortt was arrested on Mar. 8, 2024, in Howard County, Md.
Case History
Ortt pleaded Guilty to the charge. Sentenced on 9/23/2024 to 27 months incarceration; 36 months of supervised release; $2,000 in restitution; $100 special assessment. Ortt received a full pardon on January 20, 2025
Sources
- Primary Documentation
NPR Jan. 6 Defendant DatabaseNPR - Primary Documentation
Underlying court recordCourt record linked by NPR
Case summary, charges, procedural updates and image are drawn from the NPR Jan. 6 archive snapshot dated 2026-09-25 unless otherwise indicated.